Words: Jonathan Wells
Recent years have seen Aston Martin playing it reasonably safe. From the DB10, a beautiful – but bespoke – offering for 2015’s Spectre, to its spiritual successor, the considerably more conservative DB11 produced to replace the DB9, the British automaker has stuck with its iconic design template and styling cues.
But that’s all about to change. This week, Aston Martin have unveiled their new limited-run vehicle – and it’s anything but safe. 28 Vanquish Zagato Speedsters are due to be produced and sold next year, each costing northwards of £1.3 million.
The model follows in the tyre trails of the Vanquish Zagato coupe and Volante convertible of last year – with the new Speedster continuing the open-top trend kicked off by the Volante. However, what makes the Speedster special is its exclusivity – only 28 units will be produced in comparison to the Volante’s 99 – and a fresh design.
As you can see, this is still recognisably an Aston – as it should be. But the Speedster has added more lines to the tried-and-tested template, giving the rear a distinct look and even mixing up the iconic front grille with a pair of new spotlights. And, in a move that may not be too appealing to Brits behind the wheel, the Speedster is designed to look better with its roof down…
This week, Aston Martin have unveiled their new limited-run vehicle - and it’s anything but safe
Under the bonnet, the Speedster is equally as impressive. A naturally-aspirated 5.9-litre engine produces almost 600bhp – a whole 27bhp more than the regular Vanquish. This gives the limited-edition an enviable sprint time of 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 197mph.
But this isn’t about racing. Despite its swift name, the Speedster is all about cruising. The absence of a roof and beauty of the new direction – large carbon fibre body panels reduce the number of split lines – suggest that this is a car to be savoured, rather than snatched out of sight.
We can’t wait to see the Zagato Speedster hit the roads, but we’re not holding our breath. Out of the 28 cars being made, only 7 will hit British roads. We blame the weather…
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